Admitting the Truth
by Julia Holtemore
Summary: COMPLETE! This is a Harry and Ginny romance that takes place during the summer after HBP. These two struggle with their emotions after their break up as they stay at the Burrow. Subplot: Harry falls gravely ill. What will Ginny do?. HBP Spoilers!
1. In His Arms Again

**Author's Note:** All right, so I am a hopeless Harry/Ginny shipper, I know. This story takes place during the summer after Half-Blood Prince. Harry and Ginny are apart... for now. mischievous laugh Anyway, it's after Harry's birthday and all that jazz. I'm not going to bother dealing with Bill and Fleur's wedding, since I've already written it in my other story, "Harry Potter and the Past's Forgotten Mysteries." This is strictly Harry/Ginny. I hope you guys like it! It will turn out to be about six chapters. Please Read and Review! Cheers!

-Julia Holtemore

**Disclaimer:** I'm not J. K. Rowling; I do not own her stuff. I'm not J. K. Rowling; I do not own her stuff. I'm not J. K. Rowling; I do not own her stuff. I'm not J. K. Rowling... Do you think if I say it enough people will get it?

Admitting the Truth

Chapter One

In His Arms Again

The clock was ticking, filling the silent house with its interminable rhythm. But this particular clock wasn't one you might be used to. You see, there were nine hands, each with the name of a family member inscribed on it. And instead of numbers, there were places, like "work", "school" and "home". As it had been for more than a year now, all the hands were pointed up to where the number twelve normally was. Instead it read "mortal peril." Ever since Voldemort's return, it had been like that. No one was safe any longer. This is what worried the sixteen year old Ginny Weasley as she stared at the clock, as she had for the past two hours, waiting for a particular hand to flick to "traveling" for a brief moment and let her know that he and his company were at least home.

"Ginny, you can go to bed, you know. They'll be here in the morning when you wake up."

Ginny jumped and nearly spilled her tea down her front, which had long since gone cold, at the sound of her mother's voice. She turned and saw Mrs. Weasley coming down the stairs and entering the kitchen.

"I know, Mum. But I want to wait up," Ginny said quietly.

The truth was, she couldn't have gone to sleep if she wanted to. It wasn't the fact that her brother, Ron, wasn't home yet and could be in horrible danger, (though that was something she worried over) but she was worried about the company he was bringing along with him.

"Hmm..." said Mrs. Weasley, conjuring up her own cup of tea with a flick of her wand and sitting down across from her only daughter. Ginny noticed a certain perceptiveness in her voice, a comforting show of understanding. "Could it be that you are waiting up for a certain tall, dark haired young wizard with green eyes and glasses?"

Ginny blushed, looking absentmindedly down at the cold dregs in her mug. Her mother knew her all too well, sometimes annoyingly so. It was true. Ginny could not sleep because Harry Potter would be arriving at the Burrow at any time, and her feelings for him wee still rather... complicated.

Ginny had been quietly obsessing about Harry since she was about five years old. At first it was just a silly little crush on him because he was famous, something common for any little girl. But when she first saw him, when he was first boarding the train to Hogwarts, she truly fell for him. Through the years, she had learned to be normal around him, to act like herself, silently waiting in the background for him to notice her. And finally, her wish came true. A few months ago, during her fifth year, he actually kissed her! She felt like she was walking on air for those few short weeks that they were together. She marveled at the fact that he actually cared for her in return, that she no longer had to wait.

However, it was short lived. After the terrible and traumatic event of Dumbledore's death, Harry had broken it off. It wasn't because he didn't care for her, or that there was someone else. He had just been scared. He had pulled away because he wanted her to be safe.

Ginny understood that, she really did. But she also understood that they were in love, though neither had admitted it yet, and that it was ridiculous to be apart when they didn't need to be. She didn't care if Voldemort would be after her if he found out about her and Harry. She'd waited for ten years, blast it! And for someone who lacked patience, that could easily be defined as pure torture.

"Ginny dear, are you all right?"

Her mother's voice broke her out of her thoughts yet again. She realized she had been scowling, and quickly hitched a smile on her face.

"I'm fine mum. Just wondering why they are so late," she said, setting her cup on the table.

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "I know you miss him, dear. But he'll come around."

Ginny sighed heavily. "I wish I was so sure."

At that moment, the ticking on the Weasley clock quickened, drawing their attention to it. Ginny watched as Ron's hand quickly spun from "mortal peril" to "traveling", then to "home", and back up to "mortal peril".

"They're here!" Ginny and Mrs. Weasley shrieked together, jumping out of their seats. Ginny scrambled to the door and threw it open, then having to jump back as three figures stepped in.

"Glad you're all so excited to see me," Ron said, ducking under the door to avoid hitting his head and giving his little sister a big hug. "I'm flattered, really," he said, proceeding to hug his mother.

"Hello Ginny, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, hugging each in turn as she walked inside. "You really didn't have to wait up."

"Nonsense," Mrs. Weasley said, ushering her in and gesturing for her to sit down at the table. "We couldn't let you come in with no one to greet you!"

But Ginny wasn't listening, because her eyes had fallen on that certain tall, dark haired young wizard with green eyes and glasses. She watched him walk in, a weary smile on his face, carrying a few bags with him. At first she found her legs stuck to the ground as her eyes locked with his, completely immobile under his gaze. But then her sense caught up with her and she willed herself to do something.

_Come on, Ginny!_ she thought furiously._ Move! You look ridiculous, just standing there. Get a hold of yourself!_

She quickly snapped back into focus and grinned at him, throwing her arms around him and giving him a warm hug. She felt him stiffen slightly before he hugged her back. After a moment, she unwillingly let go, telling herself that he was staying for a while and she wouldn't have to say goodbye again anytime soon.

"How are you?" Ginny asked pleasantly, though in her heart she was aching to simply kiss him right there.

"I'm... I'm fine," Harry said, looking at her oddly. "Just a bit tired, is all."

"Oh, yes," said Mrs. Weasley, enveloping him in a tight embrace. "Why don't you have a quick cup of tea, and then go upstairs to get some sleep. You can have Fred and George's room to yourself. They have officially moved into a flat down the street from their shop in Diagon Alley, and have finally cleared out all of those... things they had left in the room." She frowned slightly, making the other four in the room laugh lightly. Everyone knew that Mrs. Weasley rather disapproved of Fred and George's chosen profession, but she tried her best to not mention anything more about it.

They all sat around the table, drinking warm beverages and talking quietly about all the new things that had happened since they had last seen each other. Harry reported that absolutely nothing special happened at the Dursleys', except that he finally didn't have to go back. Ginny smiled at his care-free attitude, knowing how much he had hated it at his aunt and uncle's house. She barely listened as Hermione spoke of her quick vacation with her parents to Spain, and found herself staring at Harry, remembering all the good times they'd had together. Then she remembered the day he had broke it off, and the event that had triggered it.

Dumbledore's death had been a horrible shock for every one, but no one had taken it harder than Harry. He didn't show it, and he probably never would, but it had left a deep hole inside of him that could never be filled. It broke Ginny's heart when she found him there that awful night, kneeling beside Dumbledore's body. He was so... vulnerable. So many people had died in his life, and he didn't know where to turn. He had leaned on her for those first few days, before he broke up with her. She knew that even now, he needed her support and longed for it. She could see it in his eyes...

"Ginny, are you alright?" Ron asked, brow furrowed as he looked at her curiously. "Have you heard anything we've been saying for the past fifteen minutes?"

Ginny shook her head, trying to get away from her scrambled thoughts and emotions. She looked up again and realized that Harry was staring at her. She could just get lost in those bright green eyes, so full of- _No!_ she thought quickly._ You have to stop doing that! Just make up an excuse and leave the room. Go now, before you make a bigger fool of yourself!_

"Er, I'm fine. Just tired, I suppose. I think I'm going to turn in." She stood up and put her mug in the sink. "'Night," she said cheerily. She waved and walked slowly up the stairs. She was absolutely positive that she would be tossing and turning the rest of the night, unable to shake those piercing green eyes out of her mind. She knew this only because that was what she did every night since they broke up, hoping that she would somehow wake up and be back in his arms again.


	2. Melting Willpower

Chapter Two

Melting Willpower

Harry awoke with a snap - cold, sweaty, and breathing heavily. He felt very confused and frightened. Only a moment ago he had been standing on top of the Astronomy Tower, looking down at a crumpled pile of robes that he knew to be Albus Dumbledore's lifeless form. But when he realized where he was, safe at the Burrow, he began to calm down a bit, and realized that it was just another nightmare. He was no stranger to nightmares, that was for sure, but every time he dreamed of the horrible events that occurred only a few weeks ago, when Dumbledore had been murdered, he couldn't help thinking that the real nightmare was yet to come. A life without Dumbledore was a life without hope.

Harry sat up and pushed back his covers, accepting that he would never get back to sleep now. Not really knowing what to do with himself, he quickly dressed and walked quietly downstairs, trying with difficulty to jump the squeaky ones.

Upon reaching the kitchen, he decided to make himself a cup of hot tea in order to take his mind off things. This didn't work, however, and his mind ended up wandering back to his nightmare as he sat down at the table and began sipping his drink.

How could everything that night have gone so... _wrong?_ Nothing went according to plan. It was lucky they _all_ didn't die.

_Lucky is right,_ he thought. _If it weren't for that Felix Felicis..._

He shivered at the thought, his hand shaking and nearly spilling tea down his front. If it weren't for that liquid luck potion Ron, Hermione, and Ginny would all probably be dead. But even their luck couldn't save Dumbledore. He could still hear those words, echoing through his mind.

"_Severus, please. Please..."_

He kept telling himself there was nothing he could have done. He had tried to yell and break the full body bind curse, he really had. And after it had broken, there was nothing he could do. Dumbledore was dead, and there was absolutely nothing Harry could have done about it.

"But I could have stopped him from getting away," he said aloud. "I could have made Snape pay for what he did."

Suddenly a surge of anger ran through him and he clenched his fists so tightly that he broke the mug he was holding. Grumbling to himself about the mess he'd just made, he tried to piece the cup back together.

"You do realize you can use magic now?"

Harry jumped at the sound of the voice and turned to see Ginny walking lightly down the stairs.

"Oh, er, ya. I just... forgot, I guess." He quickly whipped out his wand and jabbed at the remains of his mug while muttering, _"Reparo"_. The cup abruptly jumped back into shape and he placed it in the sink before cleaning up the spilled tea with a flick of his wand.

Ginny smiled and sat down across from him. "I don't suppose you'd fancy making me a cup?" she asked politely.

Harry sat there for a moment, staring at her. How could she act so... normal? It was as if nothing had happened between them. Did she even miss him? He knew that he missed her every day, and a battle constantly raged in his mind as to whether it was the right decision to break up with her or not.

_Of course it was the right choice,_ he kept telling himself. _You know what would happen if you two were involved again. You know what lengths Voldemort would go to in order to get at you._

He realized that Ginny was waiting for his response, so he nodded mutely and swished his wand, producing another steaming mug of hot tea. Ginny took it gratefully and closed her eyes as she gently sipped at it. Harry couldn't help but stare at her, with her long red hair lightly framing her face...

_No,_ he thought furiously. _You can't think about that. You have more important things to deal with. What if she got hurt?_

"So," Ginny asked pleasantly, breaking the silence. "What were you talking to yourself about?"

Harry blinked. He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud.

"Er..."

"You said something about making someone pay?" she said helpfully.

"Oh, I was, er, thinking aloud about how Ron owes me five chocolate frog cards. We made a bet earlier and-"

"I didn't realize Ron had changed his name to 'Snape'" Ginny said quietly and very cautiously.

Harry didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell her everything right then and there. He wanted her to know about the Horcruxes, about the prophecy, and about the feeling of anxiety and fear that never left him. But he chose not to. He would rather keep it all bottled up inside than compromise her safety. So he decided that the best way to handle this would be to change the subject.

"It was nothing," he mumbled. "So how have you been?"

Ginny looked at him with concern for a moment, clearly disapproving of his unwillingness to talk about what was bothering him. But finally she sighed and smiled.

"Oh, I'm doing great," she said brightly. "Especially considering you broke my heart in June."

A million thoughts tumbled into his head at these words. He found a little comfort in the fact that she did at least miss him, but then he felt absolutely terrible that he had hurt her so much. He could feel his willpower melting away as he looked deep into her eyes, and he found himself desperately wanting to erase all of the events of that last week of term. Then he remembered what had caused him to break it off – Voldemort – and realized that no matter how much he wanted it, he couldn't be with her.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry I hurt you," he said sincerely, "and I want more than anything to get back together, but what if-"

"I've already heard your hero speech," she said, sounding very annoyed as she stood abruptly. "Don't worry about it. You're the famous Harry Potter and can do whatever you want."

Harry's eyes widened. Her comment made his heart sink; he felt like he'd been stabbed in the gut. Did she really see him that way?

His emotions must have shown, because Ginny's face softened. She walked around the table and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry about it. It's not important anymore."

Harry looked up at her, filled with a sadness that this world had brought upon him.

"And what _is_ important?" he asked quietly.

Ginny turned her head to the side in thought.

"I'd say that right now, it's important that you eat breakfast," she said simply, smiling at his startled expression. "Because Mum's right. You really are getting rather thin."


	3. Midnight Sickness

Chapter Three

Midnight Sickness

Ginny couldn't sleep.

She wasn't sure why this was, but she was getting a little annoyed because it seemed to happen every night. She always felt extremely tired when she went to bed, but found herself tossing and turning for hours before she drifted off. She tried to find a reason, and wracked her brain to when her lack of rest had begun, and realized she hadn't slept well since Dumbledore's death. She usually went downstairs when she found herself like this, but the last time she had done that, there was a very awkward moment between her and Harry-

_Wait!_ She sat up in bed. If she was having a hard time sleeping, she couldn't imagine what Harry was going through.

She quickly put on her dressing gown and walked up across the hall to Fred and George's old room. She heard muttering inside and put her ear to the door.

"No," came Harry's muffled voice. "No please, don't kill him! Please!"

She pushed he door open and rushed in. Harry was thrashing about in his bed, breathing rapidly. He was incredibly pale and sweaty, as if he'd just been playing out in the snow for hours. He continued to mutter things and he looked to be on the verge of tears, which terrified Ginny more than anything else. She quickly went over and shook his shoulder to get him awake.

"Harry. _Harry! _Wake up, Harry. It's just a dream!" Ginny said urgently, yet quietly enough so as not to wake anyone else in the house.

Harry's eyes snapped open, though they were unfocused and glazed over. He was breathing heavily and there was sweat on his brow as he shook uncontrollably.

"Calm down, Harry," said Ginny soothingly. "Calm down."

"G-Ginny?" Harry asked quietly, not seeing her.

Ginny nodded and then realized he didn't have his glasses on, and quickly gave them to him. As he pushed them on his nose shakily, she sat on the edge of his bed.

"Are you alright?" she asked, noting how pale he was.

He nodded, trembling all over. "I... I just feel a bit ill, th-that's all," he said, failing to suppress a fierce shiver.

Ginny pushed his damp hair off his brow and felt his forehead. He closed his eyes at her touch and took a slow, deep breath. Ginny shook her head sadly, feeling the heat radiating off him.

"You're burning up," she stated. "Just stay here and try to relax. I'll get Mum." She stood and took one step toward the door before she felt Harry grab her hand.

"No," he said quietly. "I don't want her fretting over me. Please stay."

Ginny was taken aback by that. _He asked me to stay?_ she thought. _Maybe he really does miss me like he says he does._ She looked at him lying there, pleading for her to remain with him. She thought about it and then decided she would try to get something out of him.

"I'll stay if you tell me what your dream was about," she said matter-of-factly, noting that he was still holding her hand as she sat down.

Harry's eyes widened for a moment, considering her offer. Then he shook his head and let go of her. "Never mind. It was just a nightmare. Go ahead and leave"

Ginny rolled her eyes. _Why did he have to be so blasted stubborn?_

"Harry, come on. The only way you will be able to get past this is if you tell someone about it."

Harry sighed and looked away. "You wouldn't understand."

Ginny felt suddenly angry and stood abruptly, turning away from him.

"I can't believe you of all people would say that to me," she said through clenched teeth.

There was a shocked silence, and then she heard Harry sigh.

"Ginny, I-"

"No, Harry," she said loudly as she whirled around to face him, forgetting that everyone else was asleep. "You're the one who doesn't understand. I always have to sit back and watch as you lock yourself away and push me aside. When in reality, I understand you more than anyone ever possibly could. You... You obviously don't know me as well as you think you do."

She felt angry tears prickle in her eyes, so she turned her back to him again. Why was she crying? She never cried! But she realized she didn't really care as she felt strong arms wrap gently around her. She turned around and cried silently into Harry's shoulder, letting all of her frustration and despair out as he hugged her tightly. They stood like that for a long time, but for how long, she didn't know. Harry stroked her hair as she slowly calmed down and her breathing slowed.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry," Harry whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Ginny smiled, her first genuine smile in a long time. "I know. I forgive you."

She looked up when Harry didn't answer to see him swallow heavily with his eyes closed, swaying slightly on his feet. His face was now not only pale but had a slight green tinge, and she noticed sweat forming on his brow again.

"Oh Harry, I forgot that you're ill!" She pulled away from his arms and guided him back into bed, laying the covers over him. He sighed gratefully, his eyes still closed. He really didn't look well at all.

"I'm going to go downstairs and see if I can find anything for you," she said, and saw him nod, swallowing heavily again. She quickly and quietly went down to the kitchen and raided her mum's Healing cupboard. She grabbed a few jars and a book on household illnesses and hurried back up the stairs.

Harry was lying in bed, buried under the covers and shivering like mad. He looked very green indeed.

"Harry, are you all right?" Ginny asked, realizing the moment she said it that it was an incredibly stupid thing to say. He was obviously not all right.

Harry shook his head. "I think I'm going to be sick," he said, so quietly that Ginny barely heard it.

_Oh great, _she thought. But she didn't have time to think much else, because Harry suddenly rolled over to the other side of the bed and began heaving violently. Ginny rushed over and sat beside him, rubbing his back comfortingly as he shuddered like mad. They sat there for several minutes, Harry retching over the side of the bed all the while. Ginny had never seen him so sick before.

Finally, the heaves slowly subsided. Harry sat there, gasping for breath, wiping his mouth and nose. He rolled over onto his back, trembling all over and looking miserable.

"S-sorry," he mumbled, closing his eyes. "M-must've... caught something... at the D-Dursleys'."

He reached over to his bedside table and grabbed his wand. He muttered an incantation and vanished away the vomit on the floor.

"Gross," he and Ginny said together. Ginny smiled as he replaced his wand beside him and laid back down. She tucked him in and then stood, snatching up Mrs. Weasley's healing book.

"Let's see..." she said to Harry cheerfully, trying to make him feel better. "What're your symptoms? Sore throat?"

Harry nodded. He looked like he might be sick again if he spoke.

"Muscle aches?"

Again, he nodded.

"Runny nose?"

He sniffled in response.

"Purple horns growing out of your head?"

Harry looked at her quizzically and she laughed.

"That's what it says!"

Harry didn't look like he believed her, but he smiled weakly and shook his head.

"Alright then. Laborious breathing?"

He nodded again.

"And... vomiting." She made a face and Harry chuckled softly. "Yes, I do believe that is a symptom," she said. Then she ran her finger down the page, looking for the illness that matched all of those symptoms.

"Well, it looks like you have the common Stomach Flu. It says to mix some of this," she picked up a jar that contained a strange bluish powder, "with some water. I'll be right back."

She quickly went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, and hurried back upstairs, not wanting to leave Harry alone for too long.

"There," she said after she'd added the water and stirred it a bit. It began to steam as she handed it to Harry and helped him sit up. "Drink this and you should be fine in the morning. It looks like it'll make you sleep for a few hours, so-" But she stopped talking when she saw Harry pale even more, not drinking the potion.

"What?" she asked, looking at his worried face.

Harry bit his lip. "Do I have to take that potion?" he asked quietly with fear in his voice. "Is there anything else that can help?"

At first Ginny wanted to laugh at how innocent he looked, scared to take the medicine. Then she realized that he was scared to be locked into sleep for several long hours, not able to wake up.

"No, Harry. You have to drink it if you want to get better soon. This is the only cure." She didn't think it possible, but he paled even more as she said this. She was worried his head would turn blue and fall of from lack of blood, so she quickly reassured him. "But you don't have to worry. It says here that it'll be dreamless sleep."

She pointed to the spot in the book where it said so, and after he read it he sighed with relief, a little color returning to his face.

"All right... I'll drink it," he said weakly.

"Good," Ginny said, not able to help smiling to herself.

He raised the cup and grimly murmured "Cheers," before pouring it into his mouth. In two gulps he was done, and he set the cup on the bedside table, swallowing heavily. "Ugh. That doesn't... Th... That doesn't... taste very..."

But he never finished his sentence. His eyes began to unfocus and his words slurred. Ginny laughed softly and gently pushed him back onto his pillow. His eyes drifted shut and immediately he was asleep, breathing slowly and calmly. Ginny couldn't help staring at him for a few moments, thinking of how peaceful he looked when he wasn't worried about Voldemort. She couldn't believe all that the Wizarding world had put upon him, what with all this "Chosen One" nonsense. Didn't they see what it was doing to him? For the two days that he had been staying at the Burrow this summer, Ginny had seen the stress in his eyes, along with the anguish of every loss in his life. Why did they have to expect so much of him? Why did he have to expect so much of himself?

Suddenly she heard a chime from the grandfather clock downstairs. She looked at the Muggle watch her father had gotten her for her birthday, and saw that it read, "4:00 a.m."

_I really need to get some sleep_, she thought, removing Harry's glasses and tucking the covers around him again. She gave him a soft kiss on the forehead, just above his scar, before straightening and walking to the door.

"Good night, Harry," she whispered looking at hispeaceful form. "Get well."

Then she walked softly into her room, closing the door and falling onto her soft bed. All of her thoughts were of the sleeping young man just across the hall as she also drifted into a comfortable slumber.


	4. An Afternoon Picnic

**A/N:** Alright, Chapter Four is finally here! And I've already written Chapter Five. I'm just waiting for it to be Beta-ed. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Four

An Afternoon Picnic

Harry awoke the next morning feeling very confused. He usually didn't sleep very well at night, but he now felt rested. He looked out the window and saw that the sun was bright and high up in the sky. He must have slept in pretty late; it looked to be about noon.

Harry tried to remember what had happened last night. He remembered having that awful dream, and then Ginny waking him up. Then she had gotten angry with him for not telling him about the dream... and then he remembered being really sick. He shuddered as he recalled it. He hadn't been that sick in a long time. Not since before he knew he was a wizard.

But now he felt fine, which was odd. Then he remembered that Ginny had given him a potion to help him get better. It had also helped him sleep, which explained why he had slept in.

Yawning, he stood and got dressed. Then he headed downstairs to the kitchen. Before he emerged in the room, he could hear voices.

"When is Harry going to get down here?" came Ron's impatient voice.

"I've told you already, Ron, he was sick," said Ginny, sounding equally impatient. "Drink your pumpkin juice."

"How do _you_ know he was sick?" Ron asked accusingly.

"I was in his room last night." Harry heard a noise that sounded very much like someone spitting out their drink in disbelief. Harry felt like laughing out loud, wishing he could see the look on Ron's face.

"Oh, honestly Ron, we were just talking. Besides, we broke up, remember?"

Hearing Ginny say that wiped the smile off Harry's face and he walked into the room, feeling guilty and depressed. Ginny saw him walk in and smiled.

"Morning, Harry. Feeling better?"

Harry nodded and smiled in return

"Harry! Finally, you're awake!" Ron shot out of his chair and put his cup in the sink.

"Oh, good," said Hermione. "Now we can go for our picnic!"

"Picnic?" Harry asked. "What picnic?"

"We're going on a picnic for lunch," said Ginny. "Mum packed it for us. Sorry you slept through breakfast, but we should eat soon."

"Where are we going?" Harry asked curiously.

"Just past the paddock where we play Quidditch," said Ron. "Let's get going. I'm starved."

The four friends made their way across the yard of the Burrow. They had to walk for about a quarter of a mile through a lightly wooded area to get to the small paddock on the hill where they normally played Quidditch. They brushed past trees and all sorts of bushes. Ron led the way, followed by Harry, Ginny, and Hermione.

They made it to a small creek, which completely baffled them all.

"I don't remember there being a creek on the way," said Ron, thoroughly confused.

"That's because there never was!" said Ginny angrily. "I knew I should have been the one leading."

"What are you saying, that I'm not capable of finding my way around my own yard?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, you stupid git!"

Harry and Hermione were trying very hard not to laugh as they watched the youngest two Weasleys argue. They had both turned very red in the face and were shouting at each other even though they were only a foot apart. Finally, Harry couldn't take it any longer.

"Ron! Ginny! Relax, it's easy to find our way back!"

He pulled out his wand and muttered, _"Point me." _His wand spun in his hand and pointed to his right.

"Okay, the paddock is east of the Burrow, so let's just keep going straight."

Ginny gave Ron one final lethal glare, and then led the way onto the log to cross the creek. Harry followed in suit, and Ron fell behind with Hermione, complaining about the disgrace of having a little sister.

Ginny was walking fairly quickly and Harry found he nearly had to jog to catch up to her. She had just begun crossing another creek, which was considerably wider and deeper, when Harry got right up behind her. She was going extremely slow, dragging her feet along.

"Come on, you can go faster than that," Harry said.

"I don't want to fall in, thank you very much," she replied, keeping her attention on the log.

"Why not? It's a warm day," he said, and she stopped abruptly.

"Do you really want to be soaked through to the bone while we eat?" she asked.

"I won't. I can do magic, now, remember? I can dry myself off."

"Well, I can't. So I'm trying to avoid getting wet, if you don't mind." She continued her slow pace across the log.

She seemed to not be in a very good mood. But Harry thought he might be able to cheer her up. So he grabbed her wrist, making her stop again.

"What if I throw you in?" he asked mischievously.

She shook her head. "You would never do that."

Harry pretended to be insulted. "How do you know?"

"Because I know you Harry," Ginny said, turning to look at him. "You wouldn't do that. Especially if I asked you not to."

Harry sighed. She was right. He would never throw her in if she had expressly told him not to. Then he realized he was still holding her wrist. She didn't appear to mind, and he didn't either.

_What are you doing?_ his conscience screamed at him. _You're never going to be able to resist her if you keep on flirting with her like this! Just walk away and leave her alone!_

But Harry ignored his conscience, for once. He realized Ginny was staring at him with an amused expression on her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but someone else spoke first.

"Will you two get a move on?" Ron called above the loud stream. "I've been standing here for five minutes!"

He proceeded to jump on the log Harry and Ginny were standing on. Suddenly it started to roll, turning under their feet. Ginny grabbed onto Harry for support, but it was too late. They lost their balance and fell into the water.

Harry resurfaced feeling very annoyed at Ron. He had just been joking earlier. Now he was soaking wet. He looked up at Ron, who looked horrified about what he'd done, and Hermione who was doubled over with silent giggles. Then he felt a huge wave go over him. He turned around to find Ginny laughing her head off, splashing him as she kicked around in the lazy water.

"Hey, I thought you were the one who didn't want to get wet!" Harry exclaimed, not able to help himself from thinking how beautiful she looked when her hair was wet.

"Well, now that I'm here I kinda like it," she said before dunking under again. Harry laughed and was about to turn and splash Ron when suddenly something tugged onto his leg and he sank into the water, swallowing a bit in the process. He came up to see Ginny laughing at him and he couldn't help but grin.

"You two are having a little too much fun for my taste," said Ron with a pretend scowl.

"Well, then, join us!" Harry said, splashing Ron with huge amounts of water, getting him completely soaked.

"Hey!" said Ron, looking at his soaked clothes. "I'll get you for that!" And with that he kicked off his shoes and dove into the water.

They all laughed and splashed each other for a few more minutes until they realized that Hermione had yet to join them.

"Hermione, come on in. It's not _that_ cold!"

Hermione shook her head, smiling at them. Then she opened her bag and pulled out a book.

"Oh, no you don't," said Ron sternly. "You are not going to read while we have fun." He climbed out of the water and walked over to where Hermione was sitting.

"Ron, you're dripping on my book!"

"Who cares?" He took the book out of her hands and threw it aside. Then he picked her up and brought her over to the edge of the creek.

"_Ronald Weasley, if you even think about-"_

But her scolding was soon muffled as Ron winked and threw her into the water. She resurfaced with a look of outrage and pleasure mixed on her visage. Ron laughed at her expression and jumped into the water after her, splashing all of them in the process.

They all proceeded to play around, laughing at each other and playing various games in the shallow water. After a while they started to get cold, though, and decided to call it a day. Harry especially was shivering quite a bit, and he hoped that he wasn't still sick. They all got out and dried themselves off with their wands (They promised Ginny they wouldn't tell, even though she was underage).

"So, how are we going to find our way back?" Ginny asked, sounding a little worried. She eyed Harry, who was still shivering. "Harry, are you okay? Are you feeling sick again?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine, just a bit chilly."

In truth, he did feel a bit ill. He didn't really know what to do, though, except get back to the Burrow. He pulled out his wand and laid it flat on his palm.

"_Point me,"_ he mumbled. His wand instantly whirled around and pointed directly in front of him.

"We're west of the Burrow, right?" Harry asked, willing himself not to shudder, suddenly feeling icy chills run through him.

"Yes," said Hermione, looking to where Harry's wand was pointing. "So that means we need to go right, correct?"

Harry shivered as he nodded.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked. "You look a bit pale."

"I feel a little sick," Harry said truthfully. "Let's just get back, all right?"

His three friends nodded as he shivered violently again.

"Mate, is there anything we can do?" Ron asked, looking worried.

"I'll be fine, Ron," Harry said firmly. Then he waved his wand, muttering _"Temperatus."_ Instantly a warm blanket fell into his hands, which he quickly wrapped around himself. Feeling a little better, he began walking, leading the way back to the Burrow.

They had only been walking about ten minutes, but it felt like hours to Harry. He felt icy cold from the inside, like he could never be warm. He also felt very dizzy, finding himself stumbling over all sorts of things. And on top of that, he was starting to feel like he might be sick again.

They emerged from the forest, but Harry barely noticed, because he suddenly felt incredibly ill. He felt his insides boiling and fell to the ground, retching horribly. He felt as if he was shriveling up and the muscle spasms in his stomach made him afraid that he'd vomit up his own insides. He continued to heave for several long minutes, until there was nothing left. Slowly, the heaves subsided again, just like they had the night before. He found himself on his hands and knees, with Ginny patting him on the back while Hermione and Ron stood beside him. He was trembling all over and his whole body ached a he shakily wiped his mouth.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked worriedly as Ron helped him up. He shook his head, swallowing heavily.

"I need to lie down," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Mate, I thought you were better," said Ron. He looked to Ginny for confirmation, but Ginny shook her head.

"I thought so too," she mumbled. "We have to see what mum says." She took Harry's other arm. "Come on, Harry, let's get you inside."

As Harry nodded blearily, Ginny and Ron helped him across the yard while Hermione walked ahead of them, opening the door to let them inside.

"Hello, dears," said Mrs. Weasley from where she stood waving her wand over a steaming pot. "I was just about to call you inside. Dinner is almost- Harry, what's wrong?"

Mrs. Weasley looked at him with great concern, but Harry just shook his head. The smells of the kitchen, which normally made him hungry and ready to eat, now made him feel like he was going to be sick again. He let Ron and Ginny guide him over to the living room, where he laid down on the couch.

"Thank you," he whispered to Ron and Ginny, closing his eyes.

Ginny explained to Mrs. Weasley how Harry had been sick last night, and she had given him medicine, and he seemed to be better, but then he got sick again on the way back from the woods. But Harry barely heard any of it. He began shivering again and couldn't seem to think of anything else except his desire to get warm. He felt a blanket being tucked around him and a warm hand on his forehead, and he calmed slightly.

"Yes, he has a fever. You say you gave him some Likosin?" came Mrs. Weasley's voice, sounding muffled in Harry's ears.

"Well, if that's that blue powder in the Healing cupboard, then yes," Ginny replied, sounding distressed. She was quiet for a moment, and then she spoke with strain. "This is all my fault, I should have come to you, Mum-"

"Shh... Ginny dear, it's not your fault Harry's sick. I would have given him the Likosin too. I don't know what's wrong."

Harry opened his eyes a crack and saw Mrs. Weasley hugging Ginny, who seemed to be struggling to fight back tears. This made Harry feel worse, if possible. He had only seen Ginny cry twice. Once was after she had barely escaped with her life in the Chamber of Secrets and the other was last night when she accused him of not knowing her as well as he'd claimed. Both times he had been responsible in some way or another and it broke his heart.

"Ginny..." he said, barely above a whisper. She turned to him and he held out his hand. Ginny smiled and walked over to him, taking his hand as she sat down. He gave her a weak smile in return and closed his eyes, falling into a fitful sleep.


	5. A Turn for the Worse

**A/N:** Alright, I _finally_ got this up. Sorry it took me so long! But it hasn't been beta-ed either, so that's my excuse for any errors. Please review! You guys are great!

Chapter Five  
A Turn for the Worse

"Ginny dear, please go to sleep. I can keep an eye on Harry for a while."

Her mother had been asking her to go to bed for the last hour, but she simply couldn't. She felt like it was her fault. What if that potion she had given him had made him worse? Why hadn't she just gotten her mother when she said she would? Why?

She was incredibly worried. Everyone was. Harry had taken a turn for the worse. He hadn't been able to keep anything down for three days, now. He was now in a state of delirium, where he didn't seem to know if he was asleep or awake. Mum said that if his fever didn't break by morning, they would have to take him to St. Mungo's. They hadn't given him any more potions for fear it would make him worse. Besides, he'd probably just throw it back up as he had everything else. He was dehydrated and losing weight faster than anyone had ever seen. No one knew what to do.

"Ginny?" her mother repeated, waiting for her answer.

"No, Mum. I'm fine. I'll stay with him."

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "If you're sure," she said quietly. She gave Ginny a hug and whispered, "He's going to be all right. I promise." Then she quietly went up the stairs.

Ginny sighed, looking at Harry lying on the couch. He had his glasses off, and his eyes appeared slightly sunken in. He was pale and skinny, and his hair was damp with sweat. He looked so weak, it absolutely terrified her. She'd seen people sick before, usually her brothers, but it had never lasted this long. There had always been some sort of magical cure in the house, but now they were truly helpless.

Ginny sat up and came out of her thoughts as Harry stirred, muttering something incoherent. That wasn't any different than how it had been for the past few days. She reached over and felt his forehead. Still warm. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, realizing how tired she was. She was startled to open her eyes and find that Harry was looking at her.

"Ginny?" he croaked, his voice barely audible.

"Yes, Harry?" Ginny said, her heart leaping as she scooted forward. "What is it?"

Harry let out a long, slow breath. "I... I love you."

He closed his eyes again, he breathing becoming slow and even. Ginny was completely taken aback. He sounded so completely honest, so totally open with her. Did he really mean it?

_Of course he didn't,_ she thought. _He is delirious. He doesn't know what he's talking about._

_But then again, _she argued with herself, _sometimes a state of delirium is what causes someone to be the most honest._

She let her thoughts drift away again, and she felt her eyes slowly droop. She didn't know if she ever actually fell asleep, but sometime later in the night, her eyes snapped open again as she heard Harry stir again. She looked over in time to see him roll over to the side of the couch where a bucket was and begin retching again. This time it was so violently, he began throwing up blood.

"Oh, Harry," she said, and she sat beside him, stroking his hair as he continued to heave. "We need to get you to the hospital."

She waited until the heaving subsided, which seemed to take much longer than any other time, and then she rushed upstairs to get her mother. When Mrs. Weasley awoke and saw Ginny there, she simply nodded, knowing the reason.

"Come on. Let's wake up Ron and Hermione."

Ginny rushed to Ron's room while Mrs. Weasley went to where Hermione was sleeping in her room.

"Ron," she said, shaking her brother awake. "Ron, wake up. We're going to St. Mungo's."

Ron immediately opened his eyes. "Harry hasn't gotten any better?" he asked as he pushed himself out of bed.

Ginny shook her head. "No. Now get dressed quickly. We need to get there as soon as possible."

She left the room and headed back downstairs. In the kitchen she found Hermione and Mrs. Weasley waiting.

"I've just sent an owl to Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley, looking very worried and stressed. "He's still at work. I don't know how he does it. Anyway, we need to get back to Harry."

They walked into the living room to where Harry lay. He was trembling from head to foot, closing his eyes tightly as he curled into a ball.

"How are we supposed to get him there?" Ginny asked. "He's in no condition for Floo. And I don't know if we can wait long enough to drive him there."

"And we can't very well Apparate him there," Hermione added.

"Oh, St. Mungo's almost always have their emergency patients take a portkey," said Mrs. Weasley. "You can always take a portkey there without authorization, as long as you fill out the paper work upon arrival." She began rummaging through things in the room as she looked back at Harry. "And this is most definitely an emergency."  
Hermione and Ginny nodded as Ron came downstairs.

"Are we going, Mum?" Ron asked, looking at Harry on the couch and paling. "He looks bad."

"Yes, dear, we're leaving as soon as I find- ah, here it is!" Mrs. Weasley came around from where she was looking behind a bookshelf and withdrew an old wooden spoon. She pulled out her wand. _"Portus," _she mumbled. The spoon in her hands began to glow and trembled a bit, before settling again.

"All right. It's going to take us there in one minute. Ron, if you could pick up Harry, please."

Ginny was surprised at how calm her mother was. She usually overreacted about everything. But then she remembered when her father had been bitten by that snake, when she had been most worried, and that was the most controlled Ginny had ever seen her. She herself knew she was absolutely terrified. Harry was now so sick, his life was in danger. She watched as Ron picked up his best friend, who had fallen back to sleep again, and they all gathered around the wooden spoon her mother held.

"All right, on the count of three, dears. One... two... three!"

They all touched the spoon at the same moment, and Ginny felt the familiar feeling of a hook behind her navel and she was jerked forward. There was a whirlwind of color about her, and sound whistling in her ears, until they felt their feet touch the floor.

Ginny looked about her. Yes, this was St. Mungo's, alright. They were in the large waiting area. There weren't nearly as many people as there had been during the Christmas holidays when her father had been here. There were just a few people with odd ailments sitting and waiting to be called in, and there was no line at the reception desk.  
They hurried up to it, Ron still carrying Harry, who was out cold. The witch looked at the group apathetically.

"You must be the Weasley's, eh?" she asked, so uncaringly that it made hem angry.

"Yes, we need-"

"And this is Hermione Granger, I've seen you in the _Daily Prophet _several times."

Hermione reddened slightly and Ron snarled. "Yes, now will you please-"

"And this is Harry Potter, of course," she pointed to him and then her eyes widened. "What's wrong with him?"

"That's what we are trying to find out," Ginny said through clenched teeth. "Now, if you're done pointing out the obvious, we need emergency Healers right now. Harry Potter is seriously ill and we don't know exactly what's wrong."

Ginny was surprised that her mother didn't reprimand her for being so rude, but Mrs. Weasley appeared to be just as annoyed with the receptionist.

"S-second floor," the witch said, pointing toward the stairs. "Yvonne Michaels is the Healer that can help you."

_"Thank you!" _they all said, and hurried up the stairs. They made it to the second floor, and quickly searched for a healer that could help. Ginny could see that Ron's arms were getting tired, even if he was fairly strong and Harry so light. Mrs. Weasley spotted a witch in lime green robes and quickly hailed her over.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Are you Healer Michaels?"

The witch, who was fairly short and plump, nodded.

"Good. We need to get Harry Potter some help right away. He's terribly ill, as you can see." Mrs. Weasley gestured to Harry in his prone form and the Healer Michaels nodded again.

"This way. There's a nearby room just down the hall." She set off at a quick pace and soon led them through a door to a ward that was divided into single rooms. "Put him down here," she commanded to Ron, who gratefully laid Harry down on the hospital bed.

"What are his symptoms?" Healer Michaels asked as she felt Harry's pulse.

Mrs. Weasley quickly listed off all of his symptoms. "Runny nose, sore throat, high fever, aches, laborious breathing, and excessive vomiting."

Healer Michaels nodded, checking Harry's temperature for herself. "Anything else?"

They all shook their heads and looked at the Healer expectantly.

"Well, we're going to have to keep him under observation for now. It sounds to me like the common Stomach Flu, but I assume you already gave him some Likosin Potion for it and it didn't help."

"Yes," Ginny said, very worried now, since the Healer didn't know what to do either. "I gave him some of that four days ago. He got better for a few hours, but then he just got sick again."

"I see..." said the Healer, pulling the covers over Harry so he was wrapped up to his chin. "Well, I'll have to discuss this with the Healing Staff. He may have gotten strange bite or gotten the bad end of a curse, I just don't know. I've never seen a case like this before."

Healer Michaels hurried out of the room, her green robes swishing around the corner after her. Ginny sighed and pulled up a chair up to Harry's bed to wait. Ron, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley followed soon after. They simply sat in silence, looking at Harry's sickly frame, until a rush of footsteps could be heard from the corridor outside.

"This way, room two-hundred and eight. Mr. Potter is very sick, so if you could please hurry..."

Healer Michaels emerged from the corridor, leading a group of five or six Healers crowding in, all standing out in their lime green robes.

"Now, as you can see- oh dear, this won't do," said Michaels with her hands on her hips. "Will you four please leave? We assure you, we will help him as best we can. However, it is much too crowded in here."

"Why can't we stay?" Ginny asked, standing and putting a hand on Harry's shoulder, staring coldly at the Healers, who were really beginning to bother her.

"Yeah, we can stay out of the way!" said Ron, standing as well.

"I'm sorry, but I really can't allow it. You must leave, hospital rules."

They made Ron, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley leave the room, but Ginny flatly refused. Promising she would stay out of the way, she sat and watched as Healers tried various things to cure Harry. After many spells that had no effect, they moved on to potions. But Harry wouldn't wake up. Finally, an assistant Healer by the name of Gruncht turned to Ginny.

"Is there any way you might be able to wake him up?"

Ginny took a deep breath and nodded. She stood, walked over to Harry's bed, and took his hand.

"Harry," she said softly, stroking his hair gently. "Harry, you need to wake up."

Harry groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Harry, the Healers are going to give you some potions to make you feel better," Ginny said gently.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes.

"No, Harry. You need to stay awake for a little while."

Harry nodded slowly, showing that he was awake. Ginny wanted to stay with him, but she found herself being shunted aside.

"Thank you for your help, miss," said Gruncht.

The wizard promptly filled a goblet of potion and helped Harry sit up. "Now Mr. Potter, you'll need to drink this..."

Ginny sat and watched for hours as they fed Harry one potion after another, and none of them worked. His stomach would not hold any of it. Sometimes it would seem like it worked until he would suddenly vomit it back up. Some of the potions had other symptoms too. One made Harry's nose bleed profusely for several minutes until they gave him a potion to stop it. Another put him into a horrible coughing fit to the point where he could barely breathe. All night the Healers would leave for a while and return, making Ginny wake Harry up again as they gave him something else.

It was near three in the morning when they were finally gone. They couldn't get poor Harry to stay awake for more than a few seconds, so they finally gave up. They let Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione back in and closed the door. Then they all sat in chairs besides Harry's bed and drifted off to sleep.

88888888888888

Ginny's eye's snapped open as she heard a noise from somewhere nearby. Still tired, shook her head to clear her thoughts, but didn't need to when she heard a sharp cry of pain. She looked up to see Harry writhing madly in his bed, struggling to breath and clutching his stomach, moaning into his pillow. She looked at his face and saw that his eyes were glazed over unseeingly and filled with pain as he gasped for breath. She sprang to her feet and took Harry's hand.

"Harry! Harry, calm down. What's wrong? What's wrong, Harry? _Harry!"_

But no matter how much she yelled for him to calm, he continued to hyperventilate and claw at his stomach, oblivious to everything except the pain he felt. Mrs. Weasley was soon beside her, trying to help.

"What's wrong?" she asked Ginny desperately.

"I don't know! I woke up and he was like this!" Ginny put her hand on Harry's forehead and withdrew it quickly. He had a raging fever, much worse than it had been.

"What time is it?" Ron asked blearily.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, standing up as well.

"It's Harry! He's just..."

"Gone ballistic?" Ron asked with wide eyes.

Ginny tried to pull Harry's arms away from his stomach to see what was wrong, but he tightened his grip and let out a choked sob through gritted teeth.

"Someone go get the Healers!"

She heard a shuffle of feet and turned to see Ron running out the door at top speed. She tried her best to get Harry's attention, to get him to say something.

"Harry, please don't do this! Say something!" she shouted, trying desperately to get through to him. But he just continued to gasp for air, clutching his stomach as though someone had just stabbed him. He was panicking and his deep green eyes had clouded over, pleading for help. He panted rapidly, sucking in gulps of air as if they would be his last. He shut his eyes tightly against the pain and moaned helplessly. Ginny had no idea what to do, but didn't have to think on it for long, because soon Ron came running in, leading in the group of Healers.

"When did this happen?" a tall, stern looking man demanded as the rest of the Healers crowded around Harry and began running tests.

"W-we don't know," said Hermione fearfully.

"He's having an allergic reaction to the Phenolous Draught," Gruncht told the tall wizard.

"You were not supposed to give him the Phenolous for this same reason!" the tall man said loudly, rounding on Gruncht. "This is a common side effect that can be disastrous with his condition!"

"Yes, but Phenolous is also the only thing that counteracts the bleeding! We had no choice but to give him that!" Gruncht said just as loudly, his face turning red.

Ginny stared at them in disbelief. "What do you think you're doing?" she shouted. "Arguing is not helping the situation!"

The tall Healer looked at Healer Michaels. "Get them out of here. I don't have time for this." Then he went right on arguing with Gruncht.

"Right then," Healer Michaels said kindly, yet forcefully, pushing them toward the door. "If you will please step outside, we will be with you when his condition has stabilized. You all ought to get some rest. Might I suggest the tearoom?"

Then she pushed them out the door and slammed it behind them. The sound echoed throughout the corridor, and they were no longer able to hear the Healers arguing or Harry's gasps. They all shuddered, completely exhausted in the early hours of the morning and completely terrified of what could happen to Harry.

"Come along, dears," said Mrs. Weasley, putting her hand on Ginny's back and gently pushing her forward. "Let's go to the tearoom."

They walked down the corridor, and then proceeded up the stairs to the fifth floor. They emerged in a small room that was quite empty but for one customer and employee. The customer was a short little wizard, about the size of Professor Flitwick, with a beard that reached his toes, and the employee was a tall young man, only a few years older than Ginny, with dark blond hair and a sparkling smile, similar to Gilderoy Lockhart. The employee was standing behind a simple counter, and behind him stood a large door that undoubtedly led to the kitchen.

"And seven sickles is your change," the young man said politely, handing the short wizard a handful of change and a bag of biscuits. The short wizard snatched away what the young man offered him and left the tearoom. "Thank you!" the young man called. Then he turned his attention to Hermione and the three Weasleys as they stepped up. Mrs. Weasley placed their order.

"We would like four cups of tea, please," said Mrs. Weasley politely.  
But the young man didn't appear to hear her. Ginny, who had been lost in her thoughts about Harry, looked up to find the employee's grey eyes staring at her. When he saw her make eye contact he smiled and stood a little taller.

_Oh please_, she thought. _Not now. I can't handle this._

"I believe my mother asked you for four teas," she said tersely.

The young man appeared to come out of his trance and turned back to Mrs. Weasley, though he snuck glances at Ginny every few seconds.

"Four teas? Of course! That will be two galleons."

Mrs. Weasley grimaced. She took a money bag out of her purse and began counting out. She found thirty one sickles and a few knuts.

"Well," she sighed taking back some of her money, "never mind. Three teas will do."

"Nonsense," said the young man. "I'll add three more sickles in." He took three sickles out of his pocket and dropped them into the money box, along with Mrs. Weasley's money. Then he waved his wand and four cups of tea immediately came flying out of the large door behind him and skidded to a stop on the counter top.

"Enjoy your drinks Mrs...?"

"Weasley. Mrs. Molly Weasley," she said, picking up the drinks and hading them to everyone. "And these are two of my children, Ron and Ginny. And this one here is Hermione, a friend."

The young man nodded politely to each of them in turn, but gave Ginny a particularly winning smile. "I'm Vince Stretburg," he said. "At your service. I hope to see you around." He looked pointedly at Ginny again, which was really starting to annoy her. She turned to follow her family to a table, but Vince called her back.

"So, Miss Weasley, my shift ends in an hour. Fancy going for a walk? Or are you busy?"

Ginny clenched her jaw at the anger that had been released within her. _How dare he?_

"I'm quite busy, actually," she said in all politeness. "You see, I'm visiting someone on the second floor."

"Oh really?" he asked as she turned to sit with her mum. "Who?"

"Harry Potter," she called over her shoulder, enjoying his reaction of complete shock. "My boyfriend."

Vince let out a small, "Oh," blushing furiously. Then he quickly excused himself and walked trough the door behind the counter.  
Ginny couldn't help smirking to herself. Of course, Harry was no longer her boyfriend, but the way Vince blushed was priceless. Who would ever go after a girl who was already with the famous 'Chosen One'? She continued to smile at the thought as she walked over to where Ron, Hermione, and her mother were sitting.

"Do you think they're done yet?" Ron asked anxiously to no one in particular, looking out the door toward the corridor beyond.

Thinking about Harry wiped the smile off her face as she thought of her "boyfriend" lying sick in bed. She, too, wondered if the Healers had finished with him, and sighed, trying to relieve all the stress within her.

"Don't worry, Ginny," said Hermione comfortingly. "This is Harry Potter we're talking about. He'll be fine."

"I know," she said, sounding much braver than he felt.

"Yeah, he has a load of Healers taking care of him. He'll be up and about in no time."

"I... I know." But this time her voice betrayed her true feelings and she felt her lower lip begin to tremble involuntarily. Willing herself not to cry, she bit her lip and closed her eyes, taking deep, calming breaths.

"Ginny, dear," her mother began sympathetically. "It's all right to-"  
But Ginny stood abruptly, cutting her off.

"I'm fine, Mum. I just... need to go see him."

She abandoned her tea and began walking briskly toward the door.

"Ginny, wait!" Ron called across the room.

"Ginny, you haven't slept properly for days. You need to relax," said Hermione.

Ginny just shook her head and walked out the door. She knew her family would follow her, but she didn't want to talk to them right now, so she sped up her pace. Soon she was down the stairs and on the second floor, ignoring her brother's calls. She saw a flood of lime green robed figures come out of a room down the corridor ad realized that it was Harry's room. She began running down the hall, her feet pounding against the floor with the fast beat of her heart. She skidded to a halt in front of room two hundred and eight and started to wrench open the door, but Healer Michaels stepped in her way.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you in there."

"Why not?" Ginny demanded. "I need to see him. He needs me."

"I don't think that'll make much difference."

Cold terror gripped her heart. _Wouldn't make a difference? Did that mean he was...?_

"W-What do you mean?" Ginny stammered, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

Healer Michaels opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted when Ron and Hermione came skidding to a halt beside Ginny.

"Ginny, don't run off like that!" Ron said sternly after catching his breath. Then he looked at Ginny's distraught face. "What's wrong?"

Healer Michaels sighed. "As I was trying to say, you cannot visit Mr. Potter at this time. He has been put into an enchanted sleep and needs his rest."

Ginny sighed with relief. _He's not dead!_

"And we have good news," Healer Michaels added.

Mrs. Weasley, who was not one to run, came up behind Ginny. "What's the good news?" she asked Healer Michaels, putting a hand on Ginny's shoulder. Everyone waited expectantly for an answer.

"We can heal Harry. It took us a while to find out what was wrong with him. He has been hit with a curse that causes sickness. Has he been involved in any duels lately?"

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all looked at each other.

"Well, he was involved in a pretty brutal duel a Hogwarts two months ago," said Hermione with a confused expression. "But that's far too long ago to have effected him so recently."

Healer Michaels nodded. "We have many theories as to his delayed symptoms. We think it has something to do with his unique scar."  
They were all silent for a moment, pondering this. But there was a question Ginny had that she was boiling to ask.

"But at St. Mungo's you are experienced in such curses. Why has it taken you so long to find the problem?" she blurted.

Healer Michaels sighed. "Well, it seems that he was hit with a strange variation of the original curse. Not only were we not familiar with the tampered incantation, but the symptoms were much stronger than we've ever seen for that particular curse. Someone familiar with the Dark Arts and keen on revenge must have done this."

Ginny saw Ron and Hermione share a meaningful look. "Snape," they both mouthed.

"When will he be back on his feet?" Mrs. Weasley asked, not noticing the exchange.

Healer Michaels smiled kindly. "He should be devoid of the sickness in a matter of hours, but it will take time for his body to heal. He will need to remain in the hospital for a few more days. I will allow you to visit him in an hour or so if you promise not to wake him. But for now, you all really ought to just relax. Harry is going to be just fine."

Ginny sighed with relief and leaned against her mother, who wrapped her arms around her.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."


	6. It Needs to Stop

**A/N:** Alright you guys, you need not worry about waiting for updates, because this is the last chapter of my story. tear I know, so sad. But if you go up to the top left-hand corner of this page, you can click on my penname and I have several other stories that you cna check out. I am also in the process of at least two more, and I hope they turn out well. All of my stories involve Harry/Ginny relationships, as well as Ron /Hermione. Face it, they're meant to be! Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter Six

It Needs to Stop

When Harry awoke, he still felt extremely tired. He felt like he could drop off again and go to sleep for years. Nevertheless, he opened his eyes.

He found himself blinking in the bright sunlight that was streaming through a window to his left. After his eyes had adjusted, he sat up gingerly and looked around the room. He appeared to be in some sort of sanitary room. There were white walls and white floors, and he was lying in a white bed. The lack of color of color made his eyes hurt, but perhaps that was because he didn't have his glasses on. Then he looked at the foot of his bed. It was loaded with all sorts of presents and sweets, ranging from sugar quills to mince pies. He didn't think about that for too long, though, because he soon noticed that Ron and Hermione were sitting in chairs beside him, fast asleep.

He grinned at their awkward position. Hermione was leaning over the chairs' armrests and had her head in Ron's lap, and Ron had his arms around her and his head tipped back as he snored loudly. Harry started to laugh, but regretted it instantly as he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He winced and put a hand on his stomach as Ron and Hermione began to stir.

"You know, you shouldn't sleep like that," Harry said quietly. He noticed that his throat was rather sore, but he continued, watching Ron's eyes snap open. "It's bad for your back."

Instantly Ron and Hermione sat up and looked at Harry, who was now grinning again.

"Harry, you're awake!"

Suddenly he found himself with a face full of bushy brown hair and being squeezed somewhat painfully for several moments.

"Hermione, get off! You're going to crush him!" said Ron, pulling Hermione away and grinning himself. "Glad to see you're doing better, mate."

Harry was a little confused by all this. "Er... thanks." He looked around the room. "Where are we?"

"We're in St. Mungo's," said Ron grimly. "You were really sick."

"We weren't sure if you'd make it," Hermione added, frowning slightly.

Now he remembered. He had been sick for a really long time, not being able to see anything but blurs and color splotches, and he could never tell if he was awake or asleep. He heard strange echoes sometimes, and other times he would hear nothing at all. But the one thing he remembered the most was the pain. The only other thing that ever hurt more was the Cruciatus Curse. And that curse had never lasted that long. Harry shivered as he thought about it.

"How long have I been out?" he asked curiously.

"Well," said Hermione thoughtfully. "You started getting really sick after we came back from the woods. Do you remember that?"

Harry nodded, remembering playing in the water and then starting to feel ill.

"Yes, well, that was about a week ago. Six days, to be exact."

Harry stared at her in shock. "Six days? But... when did I come here?" he asked, swallowing heavily.

"Two days ago," said Ron. "You gave us quite a scare."

Harry shook his head, and then regretted it instantly. It seemed that any excessive physical activity caused him pain and drowsiness. "But how could I get that sick. I mean, the Dursleys' never-"

"We think it has something to do with Snape," Ron whispered quietly.

Harry's insides went cold at the sound of the name. He had been trying to forget about him, trying with all his might to push the awful memories out of his mind. But now every horrible emotion was resurfacing.

"What does he have to do with this?" Harry whispered, afraid that if he spoke any louder his emotions would show.

"Well," Hermione said in a low voice, "apparently what caused you to be ill was some kind of curse. But the Healers didn't know what to do at first because the curse was a slightly different variation that was much more intense. They said it hit you the last time was when you had a duel, and that you're scar somehow held back the symptoms for a long time. The last time you were hit with unknown curses, Harry, was at Hogwarts with Snape."

"And Snape obviously knows how to tamper with curses," said Harry, thinking of his old _Advanced Potion Making_ book with all of Snape's old notes scrawled inside.

"Exactly," said Ron.

They were all quiet for a moment, thinking about everything that had happened. Suddenly Harry remembered something. When he had been ill, every time he'd woken up, Ginny was by his side. Every time he ad been scared or in pain, she had been there. But then... where was she now?

"Where's Ginny?" he asked, looking around.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and grinned.

"We were waiting for you to ask that," Hermione said. "She's in the tearoom. She was really upset."

_Oh no,_ Harry thought guiltily._ I did it to her again. I have to talk to her._

He started to get up and was quickly pushed back down.

"Oh no you don't, Harry," said Hermione firmly. "Did you hear a word we said? You almost _died_. You need to rest. I'll get her."

She stood quickly and left, leaving Harry grumbling and Ron staring after her, which Ron thought Harry hadn't noticed. But Harry didn't really care; he was thinking about Ginny. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he doing this to himself?

His emotions were toiling within him, and it must have shown on his face, because he found Ron looking at him curiously.

"Mate, if you care about her so much, why did you break up with her?"

Harry sighed. "It's... complicated."

Ron just shook his head despairingly, rolling his eyes. "I think you're making it more complicated than it really is."

Harry was about to protest, when he heard the door open. He turned, expecting to see Ginny, and instead heard Mrs. Weasley's voice.

"Oh, Ron, sorry I'm late. I went home to pick up Harry's things. I thought he might want his glasses when he wakes- Harry, you're awake!"

Harry yet again found himself enveloped in another bone crushing hug that made him wince. He took a deep breath that made him have a coughing fit. Upon hearing this, Mrs. Weasley let go extremely quickly, apologizing profusely.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry," she said, backing away as Harry regained his composure. "You must still be hurting. I was just... oh, it's so good to see you better!" She gave him a motherly kiss on the forehead and pushed his hair out of his face, making Harry blush.

"I'm fine, really," he mumbled, looking down. No matter how famous he was, he still didn't enjoy lots of attention.

"No, you're not fine," said Mrs. Weasley sternly. "But you're doing better, and that's good. Oh, and here's your glasses, dear." She handed Harry his glasses, which he quickly pushed on, making his vision much clearer, and his head no longer hurt so much from all the white color. He smiled gratefully and then turned when he heard the door open again.

"Ah, Harry, you're awake!"

Mr. Weasley came striding in. He had dark circles under his eyes, no doubt from the stresses of working at the Ministry while Voldemort was on the loose. But he had a relieved smile on his face as he shook Harry's hand and stood next to his wife and son.

"Hello Mr. Weasley," Harry said, grinning. "Haven't seen you much recently."

"Of course you haven't," Mr. Weasley said with a smile. "You were sick and have been pretty much out of it for six days! But I just got back from work. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, considering," Harry said.

Mr. Weasley nodded. "Of course."

Then the door opened again and Hermione came hurrying in.

"Come on, Ginny," she said to Ginny, who was standing hesitantly just outside the door. "I have a surprise for you."

Ginny shook her head. "Hermione, I'm not in the mood. Can we please just-" Ginny's eyes widened as she stepped through the door. "Harry, you're awake!"

"So I've heard," Harry said, smiling at her.

The sun had caught her just right, making her brilliant hair shine brightly and sparkle a bit. He could see that she hadn't had very much rest recently, but the smile that spread across her face covered it up. She ran across the room, jumped onto his bed, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. This hug was just as painful, if not more, than Hermione and Mrs. Weasley's, but Harry found he didn't care. He closed his eyes contentedly and wrapped his arms around her, realizing again with full measure how much he missed her. He barely heard Mrs. Weasley whisper, "Let's give them some time alone," or the shuffle of feet, followed closely by the door closing. He kept holding Ginny tight, not willing to let go. Finally, after a few minutes of just sitting like that, he pulled away.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

Harry smiled. "For being there when I needed you."

Her eyes widened. "You remember that?"

Harry nodded. "Bit's and pieces. It seems like every time I was awake you were there. So... thank you."

Ginny smiled sadly. "Well, like you said, you needed me. Besides, you would do the same for me." She paused before continuing, almost hesitantly. "Right?"

Harry realized that she meant something deeper than just taking care of her when she is sick. But Harry knew he couldn't agree to anything, for her safety. Not wanting to disappoint her, he smiled and changed the subject.

"Another thing I don't really remember: Who won the splash fight in the creek? Because I was under the impression that I did. But then again, it could have been Ron..."

Ginny punched him playfully in the arm. "I won and you know it," she said, smiling.

Harry reached up and rubbed his arm. "I don't know, I think I put up a pretty fair fight," Harry replied, grinning. "But since we can't decide, how about a rematch?"

"But I won fair and square!" she protested.

"Then you shouldn't be worried about it, should you?" Harry asked mischievously.

Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes. "All right, a rematch. When?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, how about as soon as I get out of this place?" he asked, gesturing to the room around him.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, shaking her head in disapproval. "You're going to need rest when you get back. We'll have to wait a few more days after that. But we can't wait too long, because we're going back to Hogwarts soon."

At this, Harry sighed and closed his eyes.

"You're still planning on not going, aren't you?" she asked, her voice full of disappointment.

Harry tried to find a way to tell her without giving anything away. "I... I can't go, Ginny. I have things that need taking care of right away."

Ginny looked at him thoughtfully for a long while, and her eyes seemed to pierce his soul. Finally, she spoke.

"I know this isn't just because you have to save the world again."

Harry bit his lip. She knew him too well.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked kindly.

Harry shook his head. He could feel his chest tightening and his insides crumbling with a sadness that had been so familiar to him over the past two years.

"It's just that... Hogwarts without Dumbledore..." his voice caught and he swallowed heavily, looking away from her. He took a deep, sustaining breath, and felt arms wrap around his neck again, hugging him tightly. He buried his face in her hair and smelled the familiar flowery scent he knew so well. He pulled her in tighter, wincing against both the physical and emotional pain, and they sat there for several long moments.

"Perhaps we should have knocked?"

Harry and Ginny jumped apart and watched as Fred in George strolled in, wearing bright blue robes that matched their eyes and huge grins that matched their mischievous personalities.

"Oh, no!" said Fred, grinning even broader as e spoke. "Don't stop on our account. We were just stopping by to drop off some goods for Harry. So carry on."

Ginny rolled her eyes at them, and Harry laughed as she slid off the bed. "We were just hugging, you two," said Ginny, waving her wand at them.

They both raised their hands up in surrender, and Harry laughed at their facial expressions. They truly looked nervous being in front of Ginny's wand. Everyone who knew her knew that she had a mean bat boogey hex that no one could top.

"Now, now, Ginny. You're still underage," said George as he and Fred backed away.

"I know that," said Ginny, smiling as she pocketed her wand. The twins sighed with relief.

"Anyway, Harry, here're a few things from our joke shop that you might find useful," said Fred, taking a bag out of his robes pocket and setting on the table at the foot of Harry's bed. "Enjoy, and we're glad to see that you're better."

Harry and Ginny watched as the twins waved goodbye and walked out the door. Then Ginny turned back to Harry. "All right, enough excitement for one day. You need to get more sleep." Harry started to protest, but Ginny smiled and shook her head. "No, Mr. Potter, you need to rest. That way you'll get better soon, and we can have that splash fight."

Harry grinned. "I'll hold you to that."

Ginny helped him lay back down and he closed his eyes. He suddenly felt extremely tired. He didn't know how Ginny did it, but she seemed to know his feelings before he even felt them. Smiling to himself, he relaxed and soon fell asleep, knowing that Ginny was right there beside him.

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For two more days the Healers kept Harry in St. Mungo's, feeding him all sorts of different potions and foods to help him recover faster. Harry kept insisting that he was fine and he wanted to leave, but no one would hear any of it. They were worried about his loss of weight, and Harry had to agree that he was thinner than ever before, but he was sick of everyone forcing him to eat and sleep. Finally, the Healers let him leave, but only after strict instructions to Mrs. Weasley that he get three meals a day, and nothing less.

After being in bed for so long, Harry just wanted to get outside and do something. So, when he returned to the Burrow, he challenged Ginny to a splash fight again. She protested, saying that Harry still needed rest, but Harry told her that he'd go alone if she didn't come along. Not willing to let him go off by himself, Ginny tagged along, and they left for the creek the next day, laughing and teasing each other the whole way.

Harry pulled off his Muggle shirt and jumped into the water, wanting to cool off quickly. Ginny was a little more dainty about it, and walked to the middle of the log before diving in gracefully. Harry waited until she resurfaced and then quickly doused her in a wave of cool water.

"Hey!" she complained. "We hadn't said that it'd started yet!"

Harry looked at her apologetically, but soon regretted it as she pushed a large amount of water into his face. Sputtering and pushing the water out of his eyes, he muttered, "Bloody hypocrite."

Ginny just laughed and kicked away from him as he reached out to grab her. Then she smashed her leg into the water and caused a huge explosion of water to wash over both of them. When they resurfaced, they continued their battle, and it went on for quite some time. Harry felt himself getting tired after a while and wished that he had taken something to keep him alert. Ginny must have noticed this, because she stopped splashing.

"Harry, you're not getting tired are you?" she asked, making sure that he was okay.

"No," he replied defiantly. "Why would you ask that?"

Ginny smiled and rolled her eyes. "Because you've slowed down to the pace of a flobber worm and you're breathing like you just wrestled Crabbe and Goyle single handedly."

Harry responded by scowling and splashing her in the face. Ginny laughed and wiped the water out of her eyes, but didn't splash him back. Harry was grateful for this, because he really was tired and wanted to sit down.

Ginny shook her head impatiently and grabbed his hand, tugging him to the water's edge. Harry just gaped at her when they sat on the shore.

"Can you read minds, or something?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No," she said with a smirk. "Just yours."

Harry smiled at this and lay back against the soft grass, gazing up at the tops of the trees. Ginny did the same, and they just sat there in silence for several long moments, enjoying each others company. Finally, Ginny spoke.

"Harry, do you still fancy me?"

Harry was completely taken aback by this and couldn't think of a reply for several moments.

"Ginny, please. I don't want-"

"It was a simple question, Harry," Ginny interrupted, propping herself up on one elbow to look at his face. "Just answer it."

Her eyes bore into him as she patiently waited for an answer. Harry sighed and closed his eyes.

"Yes, Ginny, I do."

He cracked one eye open to see her expression. She was giving him an exasperated look.

"Then why in the world aren't we back together?" she asked angrily.

Harry didn't like seeing Ginny so upset with him, so he looked away again as he replied. "If Voldemort-"

"Don't give me any of that 'Voldemort' nonsense," she snapped, turning his head to look at her again. "He has Malfoy and Snape on his side. He probably already knows!"

"Well, that's true, but-" Harry stopped and stared at her in awe. "Ginny, you... you said his name!" he sputtered.

"Of course I said his name," she replied tersely. "I've realized that it is ridiculous to be scared of something as stupid as not saying someone's name."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Now you're coming around."

"But you aren't, Harry!" she said burst out loudly. "You may not be afraid to say his name, but you are just as afraid of him."

"And why shouldn't I be?" he said just as loudly, sitting up. "He has killed everyone I've ever gotten close to. My parents, Sirius, Dumbledore..." he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "Ginny, I couldn't handle it if you were dead too. I... I just..."

He couldn't bear it anymore. He could feel his resolve cracking. No longer having enough strength to sustain the conversation, Harry got up, put on his shirt, and walked away. He heard Ginny calling after him, but didn't care. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew that if he stayed with Ginny any longer, he would not have the willpower to withstand her.

_And what's so bad about that?_ a little voice in his head protested as he walked further into the woods. _Why do you have to stay away from Ginny?_

_I've been over this,_ he told the voice. _If Voldemort found out-_

_Yes, but Ginny was right. Voldemort probably already knows. The whole school knew you were going out. Especially Snape. There's no way Voldemort would _not_ know._

_All right, so he probably already knows. But if I'm around Ginny all the time, she is in more danger._

_Nonsense. She's probably safer around you, what with your 'saving people thing'_. _Besides, you know that she can handle herself._

_I know, it's just that..._

And his thoughts continued like that for ages, his will fighting a losing battle. He found what seemed like a good spot and sat down, leaning against a tree. He felt very tired, and just wanted to sleep, but he heard footsteps. A second later Ginny stepped into view.

"Why did you walk off like that?" she asked angrily. "You were talking and you just... left."

Harry sighed and looked away. Every time he looked at her he wanted to hold her in his arms. "I'm sorry Ginny, it's just that-"

"Do you love me?" she interrupted, her eyes bearing into him.

"I... what?" Did she just say what he thought she said?

"I asked you if you love me," she replied, more calmly. "I thought so once. But now I'm not so sure."

Harry let out a long, so breath. This was too much stress for him to handle. Yes, to be honest, he did love her. He'd been aching to tell her for so long, but he was scared. Not just of Voldemort, or what might happen, but of what she might say.

"Ginny, I can't-"

But yet again, Ginny interrupted him. "Get up, Harry." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "I'm sick of you beating around the bush. I've been waiting for you to come around for two months now. Fortunately, there's a way to get my answer."

Harry was going to ask why, but he was distracted as he watched her step closer to him. He took a step back and backed into the tree. His eyes widened as she watched him, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck. Then she tilted her head, closed her eyes, and kissed him.

Harry was numb with shock at first. What was she doing? Had she gone mad? But then he realized what was happening. He had wanted to kiss Ginny for two months now, longing to hold her in his arms. He found himself leaning into the kiss and placing his arms on her waist, pulling her to him. She tightened her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Harry was so lost, so completely caught up in the kiss, that he was surprised and disappointed when Ginny pulled away.

"All right," she said, smirking slightly. "I have my answer."

She unwound herself from Harry's arms and stood back to look at him. Harry was watching her uncomfortably as she spoke again.

"When you said you loved me earlier, I wasn't sure if you were just delirious, or if you were being honest. I had to know for sure."

Harry felt very confused. What was she talking about? He had never told Ginny he loved her. He'd wanted to, but he'd never actually said it. She couldn't tell if he was delirious? And then it hit him. He'd told her when he was sick and couldn't string two and two together. He privately wondered what else he had said, but then he realized that Ginny was talking to him.

"Come on, Harry. You look really tired. Let's get you back to the Burrow."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. Harry was lost in his thoughts and was startled when they reached the back door to the Weasley's home.

"Oh, good, you're back. We were just sitting down to dinner," said Mrs. Weasley, ushering them inside.

"Er... I'm not very hungry," Harry said. And in truth, he wasn't. After being so sick and not eating anything for four days straight, his stomach was still getting used to food. But he also wanted to go upstairs and wrestle with the thoughts that were running through his head.

"No, Harry. Healer Michaels gave me explicit instructions to make sure you eat." Mrs. Weasley guided him over to a chair next to Ron and across from Ginny, and pushed him in. Then she began serving food onto each of their plates. Not wanting to argue, Harry ate what he was given, though rather quickly. Ginny kept smirking at him, making him look down and blush a bit. After a few minutes of Harry not saying anything, Ron seemed to notice, because he asked Harry about it.

"Mate, are you all right? You seem awfully quiet."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, just tired. Mrs. Weasley, I'm really sorry, but I'm not very hungry. It tasted fantastic, though. May I be excused?"

Mrs. Weasley frowned at his half-eaten dinner, but nodded.

"All right. Get some sleep, dear. But I expect you to eat three helpings at breakfast, tomorrow," she said, smiling.

Harry laughed, thanked her, and walked up the stairs to his room. He quickly changed into his pajamas and crawled gratefully into bed. However, he could not sleep. No matter how hard he tried, his thoughts continued to cloud over his brain. All he could think about was Ginny.

She had kissed him, and said she had her answer. What did that mean? What was he supposed to do now? He could no longer think of anything else. He debated in his head, as he had debated many times before.

_I should just ignore it. She'll be hurt, but she'll forget about._

_No she won't and you know it! And besides, _you_ will never forget. You love her, and there's no denying it._

_Yes, but... okay, you're right. But what if she-_

_We've been over this. Everyone's in danger. Pulling away will do nothing to help._

_I don't believe you. I'll just have to talk to Ginny in the morning and tell her this has to stop._

Harry sighed. He was so tired. He kept checking the clock in frustration. _Nine o'clock... ten o'clock... eleven o'clock... eleven thirty..._

When it reached midnight he could bear it no longer. He had to talk to Ginny. He wearily swung his legs out of bed and walked out of the room. He walked across the hall and put an ear to Ginny's door. It was silent inside. He pushed it open and walked in, closing the door behind him. He stopped as he saw her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful. Her hair was fanned out across her pillow, and her long lashes brushed her cheek...

_No,_ he thought. _You need to fix this._

He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ginny? Ginny, wake up please."

He watched as she stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She looked around to see what had woken her and saw Harry standing by her bed.

"Ginny, we need to talk," he said before she could speak, seeing her confused expression.

"All right," she said, sitting up. "What do you want to talk about?"

Harry sighed and rubbed his temples. He was getting a headache from thinking so hard.

"Ginny... whatever happened in the forest... it needs to stop," he said before looking up at her. He thought it might be the moonlight playing tricks on his vision, but Ginny seemed to be smiling.

"I agree," she stated simply.

"It's just that- wait, you agree?" Now he felt really confused.

"Yes, I agree. Come here, Harry, and sit down."

She gestured to her bed and patted a spot beside her. Harry took a deep breath and complied. When he had gotten himself situated at the foot of her bed facing her, she continued.

"Harry, we need to stop this. I know you think I'm talking about us staying apart and forgetting about each other, but that's impossible."

Harry sighed and nodded. No matter how much he pushed her away, he could never forget about Ginny. She continued.

"And there can be none of this nonsense of waiting until after the war, because no one knows how long it'll last."

"Or who'll be around afterwards," Harry added. Ginny frowned at him, but then nodded.

"Yes, so we have to worry about here and now. I know how I feel about you and I know how you feel about me, but you are afraid to say it."

Harry was about to protest, but she pressed on.

"Harry, it's fine to be scared of what's to come. But the fact is, the future should not tell us how to live our lives now. If we don't know what's going to happen later on, we should make the most of t now. I know how you feel about me. I could feel it in that kiss in the woods today. Harry, it's time for you to admit the truth."

Harry watched her, debating what to say. She was right, they should live life to its fullest while they still could. But he was scared. He was absolutely terrified that he was lose her. Then again, as he watched her, with her beautiful eyes staring back at him, he realized that he could no longer push her away.

"You're right," he said as he scooted closer to her. "I love you."

A huge grin spread across her face as Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. He didn't ever want to let go. He didn't want to feel that same loneliness and separation he'd felt for two long months. Ginny's arms wound their way around Harry's neck as she kissed him back. He couldn't believe he'd avoided her for so long. He couldn't believe he hadn't gone mad without her. Deepening the kiss, he gently guided her down onto the bed before pulling back.

"Don't stop," she murmured with her eyes still closed. Harry laughed and kissed her on the forehead, for which she hit him playfully on the arm.

"Harry Potter, you're incorrigible."

Harry smiled the first truly happy smile in a long time. "I may be, but I'm also tired." He got up and walked to the door and turned to see Ginny gazing after him. "I'll see you in the morning," he said softly before walking out the door and closing it behind him.

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THE END! I hope you liked it, and PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you to all my faithful reviewers as well. I would list all of you off, but I am running out of time. I might replace this document later so I can list you all. You are all SO AWESOME! Thanks and cheers!

-Julia Holtemore


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